As froglets (and as human children) we see magic in everything. I remember thinking, when I was about young Quigley, Jr's age, that all the shows I watched on FROG TV were being created by tiny frogs that lived inside the family television set. I believed in Santa Frog and the Easter Frobbit and so many other things. The world was filled with magic and I often wondered why adults couldn't see, or understand, that these things were very real. I never wanted to grow up and lose the magic.
But grow up I did, and as an older frog I've come to realize that my fantasies,as a froglet, were just that...amazing and wonderful figments of my imagination. The ability to create those fantasies are what allow me, as a somewhat grownup frog, to create the stories for my books. I know the difference between illusion and disillusion...ok, well, most of the time anyway, and I try to keep my imagination from running away from me. But is it wrong to believe in magic? I say NO.
Magicians create illusions that look very real. We leave their shows, scratching our heads wodering how they did that! They're fun to watch. Sometimes, though, we can't ever figure out how they performed the trick and then it does seem very real and we begin to wonder if there is such a thing as magic. Science likes to disprove magic and has done a preety good job of explaining how illussions are actually created in the mind.
But the kind of magic I'm referring to aren't illusions at all. The magic I believe in is really the sense of awe that we're born with but that, somehow or other, seems to get lost as we mature and grow up. There are many mysteries in our world that can be scientifically explained, but even knowing how the mountains got created or what makes birds fy, doesn't lessen the impact they have on us. And thank goodness for that!
The really good news coming out of the science arena is that the awe we feel when we see, hear, and touch the wonders of our universe, is sending numerous health benefits to our minds and bodies. Not only does awe feel good and serve as inspiration for us, it fosters kindness in us, connects us to others and the world we live in, and can actually help kids and adults (amphibian species included) thrive in life. For me, I know that by loosing my sense of wonder, I am resigning myself to the known and comfortable. I am assuming that there's nothing left to surprise me. I can't speak for you but, for me, that's not how I want to life my life. Far from it!
Since there's no going back to childhood, unfortunately, how can we bring wonder and awe back into our life as adults? We can learn to feel that magic and wonder again, by allowing ourselves to not overthink things all the time. See things as they are...beautiful, magnificent, awe-inspiring. These things can be big, like shark-eating dinosaurs or tiny robots that can help cure cancer. Our world, and all of it's technology, gives us loads of reasons to be filled with wonder. but there are little things, too. Like how dry ingredients blended together and then baked, result in perfectly moist and beautifully fragrant blueberry muffins. If we want more magic in our everyday life, all we simply need do is open our eyes.
And yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Clause. It's the spirit that miraculously fills the air each year, beginning around December 1st, and it makes humans nicer, kinder, and more generous. There are so many reasons to believe in magic and no real reasons why we shouldn't. I'm sure there are more than a few psychiatrists out there who might disagree with me, and they're entitled to their opinions. But, for me, I like believing in magic; it makes me happy. It makes my world a little nicer. Magic and wonder and awe...they're all pretty much the same thing and how much, or how little, we choose to experience is up to each of us.
I want all the wonder and awe I can get my little froggy flippers on, today and everyday. I like the way I feel when I'm awe-inspired. How much of this this good stuff will you choose to experience today? I hope it's lots...it'll be good for you and good for your health.
But grow up I did, and as an older frog I've come to realize that my fantasies,as a froglet, were just that...amazing and wonderful figments of my imagination. The ability to create those fantasies are what allow me, as a somewhat grownup frog, to create the stories for my books. I know the difference between illusion and disillusion...ok, well, most of the time anyway, and I try to keep my imagination from running away from me. But is it wrong to believe in magic? I say NO.
Magicians create illusions that look very real. We leave their shows, scratching our heads wodering how they did that! They're fun to watch. Sometimes, though, we can't ever figure out how they performed the trick and then it does seem very real and we begin to wonder if there is such a thing as magic. Science likes to disprove magic and has done a preety good job of explaining how illussions are actually created in the mind.
But the kind of magic I'm referring to aren't illusions at all. The magic I believe in is really the sense of awe that we're born with but that, somehow or other, seems to get lost as we mature and grow up. There are many mysteries in our world that can be scientifically explained, but even knowing how the mountains got created or what makes birds fy, doesn't lessen the impact they have on us. And thank goodness for that!
The really good news coming out of the science arena is that the awe we feel when we see, hear, and touch the wonders of our universe, is sending numerous health benefits to our minds and bodies. Not only does awe feel good and serve as inspiration for us, it fosters kindness in us, connects us to others and the world we live in, and can actually help kids and adults (amphibian species included) thrive in life. For me, I know that by loosing my sense of wonder, I am resigning myself to the known and comfortable. I am assuming that there's nothing left to surprise me. I can't speak for you but, for me, that's not how I want to life my life. Far from it!
Since there's no going back to childhood, unfortunately, how can we bring wonder and awe back into our life as adults? We can learn to feel that magic and wonder again, by allowing ourselves to not overthink things all the time. See things as they are...beautiful, magnificent, awe-inspiring. These things can be big, like shark-eating dinosaurs or tiny robots that can help cure cancer. Our world, and all of it's technology, gives us loads of reasons to be filled with wonder. but there are little things, too. Like how dry ingredients blended together and then baked, result in perfectly moist and beautifully fragrant blueberry muffins. If we want more magic in our everyday life, all we simply need do is open our eyes.
And yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Clause. It's the spirit that miraculously fills the air each year, beginning around December 1st, and it makes humans nicer, kinder, and more generous. There are so many reasons to believe in magic and no real reasons why we shouldn't. I'm sure there are more than a few psychiatrists out there who might disagree with me, and they're entitled to their opinions. But, for me, I like believing in magic; it makes me happy. It makes my world a little nicer. Magic and wonder and awe...they're all pretty much the same thing and how much, or how little, we choose to experience is up to each of us.
I want all the wonder and awe I can get my little froggy flippers on, today and everyday. I like the way I feel when I'm awe-inspired. How much of this this good stuff will you choose to experience today? I hope it's lots...it'll be good for you and good for your health.
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